A Kind of Magic
by Lady-Aurora-Pendragon
Summary: It has been exactly one year since the Battle of Hogwarts and the defeat of Voldemort, but lately there have been disturbances that might suggest the rise of another dark witch or wizard. Can Merlin, a very old wizard, who just wants a normal life at last, stop it from happening, or will Merlin fail and Morgana finally get exactly what she wants? Merlin, Harry Potter, Morgana POV.
1. Chap 1: the March of the Black Queen

(Okay, so I have had this idea in my head (I almost said in my ears for some reason...) forever, actual years. And I've tried writing it so many times, you can actually see the very beginning of this story, I posted a few chapters a few years ago. However, I decided to start at another part of the story. So here's to attempt number 500 I guess?! Basically, it's a mix of two of my favorite things; Harry Potter and Merlin, and why should these two things not go together? It makes perfect sense, as the whole magic thing can tie them together. And, now I would like to point out that I came up with this idea BEFORE Cursed Child, BUT my distaste in it made me continue developing it...in my head. Now, if you like Cursed Child, that's okay, you can, you can even still read this if you would like, I'm just going to tell a MUCH better story than that. Just a warning also, there will be a bit of stuff happening in the past, so flash back type things, that are not going to be in order, I'll try to explain it the best I can, but it might be a little bit of you figuring it out for yourselves at times. Okay, anyway, enjoy and reminder; I don't own anything.)

* * *

 **A Kind Of Magic**

 **Chapter** _One_

 _The March of the Black Queen_

 _'Robert McKnee was found dead today in his Welsh home, his wife says she went out for tea with her friends and came home to find McKnee sitting in his arm chair like he normally spent his time. According to her, he was enjoying his retirement quite a lot. "He looked just fine, real peaceful like, I almost didn't notice," his wife explained, still looking rather shaken up about the evenings events. "I did find it odd, he had his old work briefcase and things were all thrown about, looked like he might've been looking for something..." McKnee used to work for the Ministry of Magic, The Department of Mysteries to be exact and his wife, Elanor, doesn't think this was just a chance bit of fate either. "It doesn't make sense, he was in perfect health, mind his age." Whether or not she is right, is still left to be decided. Our reporters will, of course, keep up to date with the latest news-'_

Merlin set down the news paper and rubbed his face with his hands. His head hurt, his head always hurt any more. It had been just a little over one year since The Battle of Hogwarts, and another lunatic trying to gain power for whatever reason was just exactly what the Wizarding World didn't need right now. And yes, he supposed it was true, that he didn't think Robert McKnee's death was a chance bit of fate either. It was definitely the act of someone, someone Merlin knew very well. Merlin looked up now, his eyes were trying to adjust to the purely whiteness of Arthur's kitchen. He still lived in his father's house, no matter the pleas from Merlin to move in with him. But maybe he just didn't like the dingy, blueness of Merlin's kitchen, Arthur was a Pureblood anyway, and no, Merlin didn't want to get into the thoughts of how odd that was, due to their dealings in the past involving that of magical abilities, Merlin had already toiled enough with that thought. Either way, now, here, Arthur was a Pureblood, and has grown up spoiled, (nothing new there,) only expecting the best. In fact, when Merlin had first met him he had at least six House Elves, that was until shortly after the Wizarding War ended and a girl by the name of Hermione Granger convinced Arthur to set the lot free. There was a solid week of angry elves rioting on the lawn after that.

Arthur, the man himself, walked into the kitchen, hair as blond as ever, golden almost, and pure, blue eyes narrowed in worry. He threw his own copy of The Daily Prophet onto the rather fancy, wooden, table and plopped down in the seat exactly in front of Merlin. "It was Morgana, wasn't it?" said Arthur, voice, slightly deeper in this life, and edged in fear. "What are we going to do, Merlin?"

"I'm thinking, it was, yeah," he replied, but didn't answer Arthur's question, because, he really didn't know what they were supposed to do. "She's up to something," he continued though, because Arthur's eyes were getting narrower, and Merlin had come so far with him, he couldn't afford to backtrack now. "We have to figure out what and stop her... _again_."

"I don't understand," said Arthur now, eyes widening from the slits they had been before, to look around his own purely white kitchen, as if lost. "I thought she had changed, she seemed so different." Arthur pushed the news paper away from him, like it had wronged him, and looked very troubled indeed. "I thought I was the wrong one this time."

"You were," said Merlin, and put a smirk on his lips. "But weren't you always?" He was trying some of that banter they used to be so good at, but clearly this was not the right time and Arthur only scowled at him. "I thought she had changed too, but maybe this is always what's destined to happen? This is the second time now, maybe she's always meant to betray us?"

"I don't believe that," said Arthur, though, it looked more like he didn't want to believe it, rather than did not. "Maybe we can still talk sense into her?" Merlin shrugged, picking up his copy of the paper, not so much to read it, put to toil with the thoughts in his head without having to face Arthur. "It was Morgana who broke into Hogwarts last week, but why? What could she be doing?" continued Arthur, Merlin didn't say anything, mostly because he really didn't have any idea what Morgana could possibly need in Hogwarts of all places. "She never went there, she was Muggleborn...her family was too poor to send her to school..."

Merlin had known all about that, he had been in constant contact with Dumbledore in those days, it was he who refused to teach her any magic. He had hoped maybe her limited skills in magic might help her keep her head straight. Well, she had a different teacher, and in the end realized her natural born powers, the ones he, Merlin, assumed she was using now. After all, Morgana and Merlin were born of old magic, they needn't use wands if they didn't want to.

 ** _XXX_**

 _Merlin walked through the creaking door, eyes downcast, he almost didn't want to see, he didn't want to see her. It had been so long, over a thousand years. Arthur looked the same, but would she? Would her green eyes still search his, as if for answers that he couldn't give her? Would she turn against him again? Was he greeting his enemy once more? However. before he had more time to ponder these thoughts, the resident of the household rounded on him, as if he had a personal squabble with him._

 _"Where the hell have you been?" the man asked, Merlin looked up in surprise, forgetting his previous concerns. "The last meeting was over two weeks ago and no one's heard anything from you." Merlin's lips curled into a smile, not a nice one. It was a bit rich coming from an ex-convict, and all the other things Sirius Black was known for, that he was giving Merlin a scolding for tardiness. "At least a letter saying you'll be missing the meeting, so we don't think you're dead...?"_

 _"Sorry I missed the last meeting," said Merlin, trying to hide his amusement with the covering of his mouth with his hand, him dead? Right, if only he knew how impossible that was. "I was on...Order business," he lied. "And it took...longer than expected."_

 _"Well, that's news to Dumbledore," said Sirius, seriously. "He thought something happened to you."_

 _"Me?" said Merlin, ego at an all high level. "Never..." But his eyes had landed on something else now, someone else. A young, and no denying it, beautiful, lady emerged from the stairs, dark hair, possibly even darker than Merlin's, flowed around her. Her eyes, just as piercing, just as emerald, if not more so than Merlin remembered them, landed on his icy blue ones and his heart rate quickened, his mouth fell open. He remembered being this enchanted the very first time he had seen Morgana, too. Sirius, obviously knowing a lost cause when he saw one, turned around now also, and looked much less distracted by Morgana being there than Merlin was. Merlin noticed, she had yet to speak a word._

 _"That's the girl you were supposed to go get," said Sirius, still sounding rather begrudged, but Merlin couldn't careless, his mind was elsewhere. A million different places, a million different thoughts buzzing in his mind._

 _"I was...busy," he lied, yet again. He didn't look at Sirius again, his eyes kept on Morgana. He felt longing in his heart, like that of those he felt when he had dealings with Arthur, and he knew what these were, he had missed him. Had he missed her? He was scared, terrified of her in fact, yet he wished things could be different so desperately. He wanted to trust her but he just couldn't. Too many memories were playing in his minds eye and he couldn't barely see anymore. "I have to go," he said, abruptly. Sirius scowled._

 _"But haven't you come to fill out your report for Dumbledore?" Merlin raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder at Sirius. "No, I won't make it up for you again."_

 _"It was worth a shot," Merlin retorted, he didn't care, he didn't care about the war against Voldemort right now. With one more look at Morgana, he was gone, and he wouldn't return for quite some time._

 _ **XXX**_

Arthur was rooting through stuff in his room and Merlin lounged on the floor, rereading this morning's Daily Prophet and trying to make sense of what Morgana was planning. "Ah, look," said Arthur. "My Gryffindor jumper." Merlin looked up, mildly interested. "I still remember the day my father found out I was in Gryffindor and not Slytherin, I had hid it for months..." Merlin smiled at the thought, though, he had always found the separate houses a bit stupid, he had even told this to the founders of the school itself, but it had been to _'weed out the good ones,'_ apparently, Merlin never quite understood that. "At least it wasn't Hufflepuff though, he would've taken me out of school I bet."

"I've meet some great and very powerful Hufflepuffs," said Merlin, defending the house, even though he really had no need to. Arthur shrugged.

"I never had anything against any of the houses, I dated a Hufflepuff for a few years," said Arthur, "Her name was Gwen and-" A very large smirk formed on Merlin's face suddenly and Arthur's eyes suddenly widened a great deal. "Oh my god!" he said, Merlin let out a laugh. "How come I didn't realize that before?"

"Things will all come back to you one at a time," said Merlin. "Just sorry it didn't work out for you this time. Still could though..."

"No," Arthur dismissed the idea. "She was obsessed with this bloke in the year ahead of us, I think they're married now."

Merlin nodded, but didn't add anything else, he did wonder though...was that Lancelot? Arthur pushed his Gryffindor Jumper over the jumper he was already wearing and Merlin faintly thought of Arthur's old armor, as he gazed up at him. "I think we should find Morgana," said Arthur, as he sat down next to Merlin on the floor, and all pleasant thoughts left Merlin's head presently. "Don't give me that look, it might not be too late yet. I know she doesn't like me too much any way, with the whole Death Eater thing and the whole Lupin thing..."

"You didn't kill Lupin," Merlin pointed out, very pointedly.

"Yeah, but I didn't save him either," said Arthur. "And I was right there...I knew he had just had a son."

"You can't blame yourself for that, Lupin knew what he was getting himself into-"

"Don't try to defend me, Merlin," said Arthur, warning him. "I would be in Azkaban if it wasn't for you, and I should be."

"It wasn't your fault, Arthur," Merlin told him, as he had told him countless times before. Uther had done a number on him this time, if not worse than last time. Merlin wasn't sure what he preferred; Arthur hating magic all together or Arthur possessing it, but an ex-Death Eater, either one wasn't very easy to deal with. "Your father was too deep in with the Dark Lord, there wasn't anything you could've done different."

"I could've stopped him," said Arthur, miserably. Merlin wondered for how many years he would have to spend putting the pieces of Arthur back together again, and how many times he would have to do so, before they both could just live a peaceful life. Maybe they never would. "I could've killed Voldemort."

"Nah," Merlin dismissed his thoughts. "That wasn't your job this time..."

* * *

( **A/N:** I know that it's pretty much as if you HAVE TO have seen Merlin to understand a lot of the references, which, honestly, is a very small crowd, probably, that like both Merlin and Harry Potter. BUT, I try to be very loose with the MERLIN info I am giving out. Like, it's standard stuff, and maybe at some points in the future I might need to do a flash back or two from the Merlin era, I'm not sure yet, but I will do so if need-be, but for right now I feel like it's pretty basic info. Arthur was King, Merlin knew him, (he was his servant, the obvious fans of the show know that.) Arthur married Guinevere. there was a whole Lancelot thing, Morgana, Arthur's sister, wanted the throne. Bog standard stuff here, so hopefully it isn't confusing for anyone. Trust me, things will get confusing enough just in the Harry Potter era, so I'm trying to stay basic here. Also, this will be a three part series, this first part being about 10 or 12 chapters, I have pre-written to about chapter 7 so far, I hope ppl enjoy this and I haven't waited so long that I missed the boat on this. I just haven't felt it was the right time until now.)


	2. Chap 2: the March of the Black Queen p2

_(_ ** _Warning:_** _The fo_ _llowing chapter has MAJOR character deaths and mentions of a few more, so warnings all around. Though, chances are if you're here you've already read/watched Harry Potter and already know this_ ** _._** _)_

* * *

 **A Kind Of Magic**

 **Chapter** Two

 _The March of the Black Queen Part 2_

 _The look on his face said it all, the look of appalled shock, surprised anger. Though, he really shouldn't be any of those things. It was alarming to Morgana that he really thought they would listen. "I told you not to come!" he insisted, upon reaching her in the corridor. It was a mess, there were kids running and adults trying to control the situation and the sounds of what sounded like rocks, pelting the walls outside the school._

 _"You know we never listen..." she trailed off and Lupin's eyes widened a little._

 _"We? That means...-"_

 _"Tonks?" she questioned "Yeah, she's here."_

 _Lupin looked angry again. " **Where**?!"_

 _"We were looking for you and got separated," explained Morgana. Lupin grabbed her arm quickly and suddenly._

 _"Which way?" he demanded. Morgana pointed in the way she had came and shrugged. "What about Teddy?"_

 _"He's with her mum...he'll be fine."_

 _"I know he will, but you and Dora...?"_

 _"And what about you?" asked Morgana. "Who is going to look after you?" Lupin didn't answer this, he turned away as a rather loud bang filled the air. "I'm sure Tonks doesn't want to raise a baby alone."_

 _He chose this moment to start dragging her in the same direction that she came in. She allowed this. though, knew she had touched a nerve. And good, he was being stupid. How did Sirius put up with this for so many years? How had she...?_

 _After an hour or two, and unspeakable things happening, Death Eaters were in the castle and the two still had not found Tonks. She could tell Lupin was getting scared and as was she, why didn't Tonks stay with her? That was the deal they had made before arriving. Worried as she might be, her mind was racing after all that had happened and she stopped, stepping into a small courtyard on the ground level of the school. Lupin seemed to understand she needed a moment and didn't look nor judge her as she mopped tears from her eyes. They had just been on the seventh floor, where there had been a fight with a group of Death Eaters and a group of Weasleys._

 _"George hadn't been there," she let out, it was rather quiet and broken, laced with tears. "Who's going to tell him?"_

 _"Someone will, it is a family matter," said Lupin, being strong about it, but Morgana knew it was just an act. He was very fond of Fred and George Weasley. Morgana couldn't believe it, she felt sick. Why couldn't have someone helped him? Saved him...? She still needed a minute and took a few steps deeper into the courtyard, but it was just as she did so that she was suddenly shoved so hard that she lost her footing and fell to the ground. She reacted slow, possibly from the tears blocking her vision, but she heard foot steps and saw green lights flying over her head. She was frozen on the ground. Looking up at a hooded figure entering the courtyard as well._

 _"Hide!" yelled Lupin. Yet, she didn't move. The man lowered his hood and Morgana didn't recognize him at all._

 _"You're protecting your pray, werewolf? How thoughtful..." the man sneered and Lupin took several steps to block the man from Morgana. She couldn't see either of their faces now, as they were blocked by Lupin's head, but she could hear the Death Eater laughing._

 _Morgana watched the battle horrified and wanting to help, but she couldn't get up, she wasn't hurt, her body was just frozen in fear, and it felt like several minutes had passed, though it had only, really, been a few seconds. Her eyes drifted off to the entrance of the courtyard, she knew she had more important things to be paying attention to, but something stopped her. There was someone there, he was trying to hide, but his blue eyes locked with her green ones, and Morgana had seen him before; when Dumbledore had died, and sneaking out of Merlin's flat. He was a Death Eater, and obviously not a very good one. She stared for a long time, or at least it felt that way,until there was a clatter of a wand hitting the ground, and she looked back to the fight in front of her. It was as if everything was running in even slower motion than it already was._

 _Lupin's wand rolled on the ground, and Morgana made to get up, he didn't look over at her yet, he raised his hand to stopped her, and she halted. If ever a time to not listen to him, it was now, but she obeyed. He knew what was coming and so did she, yet, she didn't move. He turned his head to look at her, he didn't look scared or worried, he looked strong, as he always did, for her. And she tried to put as much into a look as anyone could, in that second, before the green light filled the room completely and the shadow of the man before her. falling, was all she saw. And then it was over, much faster than it began, and Lupin lay on the ground, motionless._

 _Morgan didn't know what to do, the Death Eater was backing out of the courtyard now, he seemed like he didn't want to bother with her. She crawled over to where Lupin lie, she looked and the other Death Eater who was outside had gone now, he was running away and suddenly Morgana felt very angry. She was making to stand up when there were even more footsteps that filled the air and the Death Eater in front of her suddenly backed out completely and ran off too, laughing as he did so. Tonks rounded the corner and Morgana, at that very second, hadn't began crying, until then. The look on the other woman's face showed every sign of the broken heart Morgana, too, was now sporting._

 _"REMUS!" Tonks screamed, as she fell to her knees in front of them. Morgana pushed herself back, away. She had never been too much of fan of Tonks, but she had come to accept their marriage as it was, and she couldn't help but feel guilty now._

 _"I...I'm so sorry..." she cried. Tonks looked up, as if she had forgotten Morgana was there entirely, and wiped away a few tears._

 _"We have to go," she said, putting on that strong look, Lupin would be proud of. Morgana knew she was right, and with much effort, stood up. But it was just then, that yet another person entered the courtyard this night._

 _"My...my...what happened here?" said the woman. She looked up, very amused, indeed. "Aw, dear, Niece, did someone kill your pet? Pity...I would have been very pleased to do it myself."_

 _"Go away, Lestrange!" Spat Tonks. Bellatrix Lestrange looked, if possible, even more amused by these words._

 _"Is that any way to treat your Aunt...?" Bellatrix raised her wand._

 _There was a sound that sounded like screaming cats or screeching breaks and then a voice broke out over them, that didn't belong to any of them. "You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery." Morgana and Tonks looked at each other, Bellatrix looked worried. "Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen, every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful; I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour, depose of your dead with dignity, treat your injured...I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If at the end of that hour you have not come to me; have not given yourself up, then the battle recommences. This time I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you and I shall punish every last man, women and child who tries to conceal you from me, one hour..."_

 _Bellatrix looked very perplexed now, obviously, being the super, psycho that she was, she needed to listen to her Dark Lord, but something in her eyes twitched. Tonks seemed to notice this. "You wouldn't disobey your Master, would you?"_

 _The long fingers, wrapped around the wand pointed at her, flexed. "What the Dark Lord does not know, will not hurt him," she said, as if convincing herself. Tonks took a step back. But it was pointless. The words rolled off her lips like a snake hiss and there was nothing Tonks could do. "Avada Kedavra..."_

 _Tonks fell back, landing on the ground with a crash and bang and Bellatrix recoiled from the courtyard, slipping into the darkness, Morgana stared down at Tonks, unable to understand this, what just happened; It was just like that, a child became an orphan._

 _She let out a scream, of sadness perhaps, but of mostly anger. She didn't know what to do...so, she began walking. She had witnessed three deaths in only a few hours time. She was numb, she was broken and lost. She reached the Great Hall, at least, but right outside of it stopped, dead in her tracks. Standing there was that Death Eater, the one that just watched as Lupin was murdered and than ran off...and she knew him, she had seen him before..._

 _"YOU!" she screamed out, grabbing her wand from her jean pocket, and pointed it at him, he didn't move. "YOU...THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" She was going to collide with him, she was going to hurt him, hurt him like she was hurting now. Wand be damned, she would use her hands. But, suddenly another person was in between her and the Death Eater, and was pushing her back. "AND YOU!"_

 _"Morgana, stop!" yelled Merlin, shoving her back. She was disgusted he even touched her. Her anger and blind grief were too much for her to bear right now. Tears streamed down from her eyes, as she turned and slapped Merlin right across the face. He didn't seem to really react to it, and that enraged her even more._

 _"I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU, I SAW HIM...THAT DEATH EATER LEAVING YOUR FLAT WHILE WE WERE THERE!" she screamed out. "YOU TRAITOR. YOU-"_

 _"Morgana!" demanded Merlin, and she honestly couldn't think of anything else to say, so she just began furiously sobbing and pushed Merlin away from her. The Death Eater watched on._

 _"Morgana?" he questioned, as Merlin looked back at him. "I thought you said she didn't come back...?"_

 _"I never said that, exactly, I said I didn't know her," said Merlin, and Morgana couldn't careless what he was talking about, her head hurt from crying so hard and she just wanted to sleep. "I'm not a traitor either, Morgana, I am not a Death Eater, I never told him anything he might find useful."_

 _Morgana looked up and growled at him. "I don't care, I don't care what you have to say, just stay away from me! Stay away from us all!"_

 _And with that, she found the strength to stand, and marched away from them both._

 _ **XXX**_

For all intensive purposes, Morgana was asleep. She lay on the sofa, her eyes were closed, the slow rise and fall of her chest was steady, and heavy breathing filled the room, yet her body didn't feel rested, her mind never shut off, not for a single second, and she would simply jump a foot in the air at the slightest of noises. And this was her life for the last year. She was tired, Morgana was tired, all she wanted was rest. And she would get it, whatever the cost, some day, she told herself. It was as if her body, her mind, her whole life was just paused, awaiting to be awoken again. She was waiting for something, in her heart, she could feel it, and it was only a matter of time now.

There was a swift knock at the door, one too gentle and feminine for her to really worry about, but her eyes still burst open, as if a dangerous threat was only behind the thin walls and she jumped up. She allowed herself a second to recognize the situation, and maybe a few seconds to pull herself together, before walking over to pull open the door. She knew who it was, it was the same person every time, she had no other visitors. Ever. Mrs. Weasley made a sound like an upset cat as soon as the door opened and pulled Morgana into a hug before any word was spoken, Morgana patted her on the back and moved aside, once the hug was over, to allow her in.

"Morgana, Dear, how are you holding up?" she asked, looking around the messy flat and tutted loudly to herself. Morgana shrugged. "You mustn't keep dwelling on this and remember you are alive, you have so many people that care about you, Dear." The thought was there, it was always there. Mrs. Weasley, the whole Weasley family, really, were just such caring and nice people, Morgana didn't deserve it, and she couldn't think of a worse way to repay them as doing nothing but being herself, but she couldn't do the things Mrs. Weasley asked of her, no matter how she wanted to. She couldn't move on. And moreover, she knew the only way Molly Weasley was dealing wit the loss of her son was making sure everyone else was doing all right, and Morgana hated that. She hated that Mrs. Weasley had lost a son. "Arthur asks of you often..." she proceeded and must have realized what she was saying. "My husband, Arthur, obviously...not your...-"

"Lying, Death Eater, brother?" offered Morgana. Mrs. Weasley looked alarmed. "It's okay, just tell him I said hi, and I'll bring him some old Muggle things soon, when I find them." Mrs. Weasey didn't look convinced, and only left after another forty-five minutes of fussing and trying to clean Morgana's very dirty flat. But Morgana didn't care, she didn't care that she herself, let alone her flat, was a mess, she didn't care that her hair was all matted and her eyes had dark bags under them. She sat on her sofa that doubled as her bed and looked at the book she had just picked up, This book she now had propped open on her knee's was dark brown and had no viable name on the front cover, though the pages were filled with letters and words, odd shapes of different sized triangles and circles, and things that to a normal reader didn't quite make sense. They barely did to Morgana, she would have been completely lost if not if for the writer of this journal. She supposed it was a journal. She studied it for the rest of the night, as she did every night since she took ownership of it the previous week, until her eyes drifted shut one more time and her body fell into that sleepless slumber she was so used to these days.

In the morning Morgana woke up still tired and pulled herself off the sofa, she dressed with not much care and didn't leave her flat after she got ready. instead she closed her eyes as she stood in the middle of her dingy, sitting room. She focused heavily on the little village outside of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and suddenly it felt as though a Muggle vacuum had sucked her up in it's wake to clean up the week old reminisce of meals and dirty clothes, it sucked her through it's tubes, but just as she was about to reach the end, it spat her back out and she landed quite gracefully on the cobblestone street in front of a chocolate shop called Honeydukes.

She didn't have any time for shopping today, however, she walked passed the colorful windows, up the winding path to the school, it was still a little too early for any passersby to bother with her much, and it made the trek rather easy. The new school year would have just started the previous day and it made the castle appear more alive. Though, she couldn't forget all the death and destruction that was present just a little over ago before. She closed her eyes at these thoughts, as she lifted her hand and the spells protecting the grounds lifted for a single second, and she passed through locked gates.

She manged to so much as to get into the castle and pass many levels, even some confused, and obviously, new students, all the way to the Headmasters office before she was caught. She froze as the foot steps and heavy breathing grew louder behind her.

"Ms. Evans, what is it exactly that you think you are doing...?"


	3. Chap 3: Killer Queen

_._

 ** _A Kind Of Magic_**

 **Chapter** _Three_

 _Killer Queen_

Morgana steeled herself, taking a deep breath before turning around. Professor Mcgonagall stood there, arms crossed and eyes narrowed in a knowing sort of way at her. It struck Morgana, that although they had dealings with the same people so very often, and Morgana though not having gone to Hogwarts as a student, had been to the castle a few times, and obviously seen the woman before, but had never actually spoken to her. "Are you going to stand there gawking at me all morning, or are you going to explain why you have broken into my school for what appears to be the second time in less than a week?" Morgana gulped, not really entirely sure what she should say to this, if anything at all. Her mouth opened and closed once. "You think you are the only clever witch around here? I have more than just spells protecting my office, I can assure you of that." A show-off-ish sort of smile formed on the woman's lips for only a second, if that, and then her lips narrowed again, back into a thin line. "Now, for the last time, Ms. Evans, why have you come here?"

"To talk to the Headmaster," said Morgana, finally, at last, trying to gain some sort of bravado against the cleverness that of Minerva McGonagall. Her, Morgana's, palms were sweating and the sun was casting odd shapes around the hall from wherever the windows were, and Morgana really needed to get better at this. The Professors eyes only narrowed more and looked much too suspiciously at Morgana, with good reason, she supposed.

"Well, you can't possibly mean me," she said now, skeptically. "You must mean...-"

"Dumbledore," they said together. McGonagall looked very alarmed now, if not sightly angry.

"Dumbledore is dead, Ms. Evans, and I trust you remember that," she said, sternly. Morgana went to, clearly, obviously, mention the painting, but it seems the Professor was too quick for her. "That is nothing but fabric and paint, enchanted to hold a memory of a man, to ensure his legacy will live on. It should not be mistaken for the real thing and certainly cannot be trusted with any such life decision one might be making!"

She wasn't sure, but she swore McGonagall's voice leveled up an octave at every passing word, and she might explode soon if she kept going, so Morgana thought this might be the best time to step in. She had to be good at this eventually. She had to be charming, persuasive, good at getting exactly what she wanted. Was she taking a note from a life lived, that she barely remembered? Or perhaps one from Voldemort? Was being evil really a thing that she wanted to be? She was being penned this way now, but perhaps that was all fabric and paint too? Perhaps not...

"Please, Professor, I just have a few questions only he could answer," Morganan lied, well...that part wasn't exactly a lie, however, the next bit was. "About Lupin and...and Sirius." This seemed to work, because the teachers eyes softened slightly. Pulling on heartstrings, now _that_ was pure evil.

"You are breaking into my school to hear foolhardy tales?" she offered, though, the bite that had been there before was gone. "Surely Sirius would have told you enough to fill a book before he-"

"You would be amazed at what Sirius didn't tell me when he was alive,"retorted Morgana. Professor McGonagall huffed, obviously fighting with herself about what she wanted to be done here.

"I will give you ten minutes," she finally breathed out, turning on a heel, but not before whispering a word or two that sounded an awful lot like _Snow Leopard_ , she looked back at Morgana over her shoulder. "I knew Remus and Sirius very well too, Ms. Evans," said the Professor, plainly. "Do not for a second believe I think that you are only here to talk about your old friends."

And with that she was gone, but a spiral staircase had appeared and Morgana didn't dwell on her words too long, but instead, climbed the stairs.

 _ **XXX**_

 _"You're dying," said Merlin, matter-of-factly, Dumbledore looked up from his spot at his desk and raised a curious eyebrow."You've been cursed."_

 _"What makes you say that?" the old Professor asked curiously, as if he only asked why Merlin had such a strange opinion of the weather. Merlin marched across the room and stood in front of the desk, flaked with specks of dust and all sorts of odd objects lay around on it, none of them interested Merlin._

 _"You're hand!" said Merlin, Dumbledore looked down at his, what appeared to be badly burned, hand, and considered it for several seconds. "I know a curse when I see one. I know what a curse **sounds** like, I didn't even have to see it."_

 _"Ah, Merlin...you are very clever, indeed-"_

 _"I'm not," said Merlin, cutting passed Dumbledore words. Dumbledore, always priding himself on being very, very good with words, stopped short and looked up at Merlin surprised. "I'm not clever, I'm old, very old..."_

 _""As am I, Merlin," the man jumped back in, obviously trying to get to the point. "But I didn't ask you here to speak of my failing health," said Dumbledore. "No, I'm afraid that is inevitable, I have asked you here to talk about Morgana."_

 _"What about her?" asked Merlin, before he realized what he was saying, it had been several months since he had heard anything about her, he didn't even know where she was. "I don't know where she is," he admitted. "I know the Auoror's who were protecting her died."_

 _"It is most unfortunate..."_

 _"Do you want me to go find her, Dumbledore? Because I don't-"_

 _"Oh no," said Dumbledore, with a small, knowing, smile. "I know exactly where she is. She currently takes up residence at the Weasley family home, where I know she will be protected."_

 _Merlin felt a little like Dumbledore was suggesting Merlin couldn't take care of Morgana, and that might possibly be true. But that being said, he really wasn't sure why Dumbledore had called him here then. "Okay...and...?" Merlin encouraged, Dumbledore never got to the point._

 _"I recently had a meeting with Remus Lupin," said Dumbledore, like this was supposed to matter to Merlin. Merlin blinked a few times, confused. "Due to my health I thought this must be done. I instructed him, that if anything should happen to me, once this war against Voldemort was over, he was to tell Morgana the truth."_

 _"The-the truth?" gulped Merlin, he didn't like that idea at all. "Like what?"_

 _"That...besides his Muggle relatives, Morgana is the only living relative of Harry Potter," said Dumbledore. Merlin stared, lost, and confused, and one million other things all at once._

 _"That's not true," he insisted. "She...she is Arthur's sister, not-"_

 _"That she is," said Dumbledore, easily. "Morgana Pendragon, Mother's given name, Evans. Lily Potter, nee Evans..." Merlin's eyes widened, this had never accrued to Merlin before. He had heard her full name spoken before, but he never thought much of it. Evans, it was a Muggle name, and Harry's mother Lily, she had been Muggleborn. "Very popular this time, isn't she?"_

 _Dumbledore was smirking, and Merlin shook his head. "Always," he said. But Dumbledore's smile fell and he became very serious again._

 _"I had Lupin give me his word, to tell her when the time deems itself worthy," he continued. "And I trust he will do as I ask. And now I beg of you, Merlin, once this fight with Voldemort ends, tell her where else her origins lie." And there it was, the reason for their meeting, Merlin shook his head. "I know you have told Arthur, does Morgana not deserve the same?"_

 _ **No** , Merlin thought, but didn't say it. "If you are so worried about it, why don't you just tell her everything now?"_

 _"Now is not the time, I believe it is cruel to burden her with any more so soon after the death of Sirius, wouldn't you agree?" Merlin didn't care much about Sirius Black, and only shrugged. "Nonetheless, Merlin...do I have your word?"_

 _Merlin wasn't too convinced, actually, not at all. "You think she'll turn, don't you? If she finds out now, she'll join Voldemort, won't she?"_

 _"I am not even the slightest bit concerned," admitted Dumbledore. "But I can see you are."_

 _"How could I not be?" asked Merlin. Dumbledore didn't know, he hadn't been there._

 _"Darkness is in all of us, Merlin," said Dumbledore. "You can not blame Morgana for mistakes she made in a passed life, no more than you can blame yourself for the making of those same mistakes."_

 _ **XXX**_

Morgana closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, before opening them again and being met with a small snore from the painting just behind the large, Headmasters desk. She stopped there, not sure how to go about this, how does someone wake up a painting exactly? Just to the right of this painting was another, the backdrop was exactly the same, but the man who sat int he Headmasters chair had dark, black hair, that looked, even in ink and water colors, like it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. This man had not been asleep, like the other, and when seeing Morgana there, looked overtly irritated, slammed his book shut and got up, going out of frame. Morgana knew who he was, and just like with Mcgonagall, hadn't spoken to him, even when he was alive, either. He appeared in the painting with Dumbledore and shook the man's shoulder. Dumbledore woke with a start and looked out, at Morgana, fixing his glasses as he did so.

"Ah, Morgana," said Dumbledore, with a tone that said he obviously knew she had broken into the school grounds again, but was that really so important? She hadn't hurt anyone. "I daresay you got the book rather easily?"

Morganna hesitated, because Snape was still standing in the frame, next to Dumbledore, scowling, with a down cast sort of glare in Morgana's direction. "Oh, please," he said, in a dark droll. "Every painting in this school knows what your plan is, no need to stay silent now."His dark eyes traveled over to Dumbledore, as he continued. "Though, if not careful, one of us might let something... _slip_."

"Now, Severus, no need to scare the girl," said Dumbledore. Snape's dark eyes were slowly disappearing from view as his eyes turned more and more into slits. But he didn't say another word. "Did you find the book? "

"I took it," said Morgana, almost in a whisper, there had been no finding it, she had known where it was, it was only a matter of taking it, along with someones life. Dumbledore seemed to understand her meaning in what she hadn't said.

"Robert McNee had lived a long, fruitful, life," said Dumbledore, and somehow that didn't make Morgana feel better.

"But who is she to take it?" offered Snape, taking Morgana's thoughts right from her, restless, mind. Dumbledore glared at Snape.

"Do not pretend that you have not taken a life, Severus," he said, plainly.

"I am but a canvas with bitter thoughts," reminded Snape, before turning on his heel and marching out of frame, only to show up back in his own painting, glaring daggers in Dumbledore's direction. Dumbledore seemed to recover from Snape's annoyance with him rather quickly, and looked as if it was quite easy for him to forget he was there.

"If you have the book, what troubles you?" he asked.

'Do you think it will really work?" asked Morgana, and the Professor seemed to ponder over this question for several seconds before answering.

"In theory, yes, it should," he said. Morgana nodded her head, but in there were so many fears, what if she couldn't find all the Horcuxes, what if she couldn't kill Voldemort? What if even after all of the work she has done, it still didn't fix anything? "Yes, it is true, much more experienced witches and wizards have tried before, but perhaps their hearts just weren't in it?"


End file.
